NFL Analyst believes drafting Jeremiyah Love was WORST move by Cardinals in 2026 offseason

Barnwell on why Love is worst moves for Cardinals:

“It’s the right player in the wrong situation,” Barnwell said. “It’ll be extremely difficult for Love to live up to those expectations in Arizona, where the Cardinals have one of the league’s least-imposing quarterback rooms and offensive lines.

“Even if Love does emerge as a standout back, the finances of the running back position already cap what teams typically want from their first-round picks. By signing a fully guaranteed four-year, $53 million contract, Love has already realized the largest guarantee for any back in football by a considerable margin.”

The money problem is a warranted concern. Running backs are absorbing contact nearly every play, and with the lack of weight that offensive line have to handle that type of physicality, halfbacks struggle. The value for a stellar run game is imperative, but many teams find that type of production in later rounds, making taking a running back in the first round completely unnecessary.

However, if Love’s tape at Norte Dame and pre-draft analysis means everything, then he will be a top running back in the league. The money doesn’t become a problem unless he fails to match the production of a top 10 running back in the NFL. And the Cardinals having over $100 million in projected cap space next offseason makes the finances easier to handle.

The crowded backfield of James Conner, Trey Benson and newly-signed Tyler Allgeier doesn’t help Ossenfort’s selection. A healthy season of that trio of running backs in head coach Mike LaFleur’s system is surely to be productive. Drafting Love could be seen as overkill. Conner’s age and Benson’s lack of game tape put them on the chopping block for a franchise heading in a new direction.

While the selection of Love will be the most famous move made this offseason, its case for being the worst hinges on factors surrounding him instead of the prospect himself.